A Shrimp Grows in the Desert

It might sound kooky, but right this very moment, 30 miles from the Vegas Strip, thousands of baby shrimp are spending their childhoods in well-water-filled tanks in the Mojave Desert. Blue Oasis Pure Shrimp Co. tells Forbes their little guys are raised chemical- and antibiotic-free, then harvested at around 120 days. At any given time, there will be 4 million shrimp chilling in Vegas, feasting on algae and protein; then delivered head-on for local chefs. That’s a half million pounds of shrimp a year total, which, Forbes notes, is “enough to fuel Las Vegas’ insatiable all-you-can-eat-shrimp habit for about a week.” (Only a week?)

Regardless, Blue Oasis claims its setup is ecofriendly: Operations are indoors and climate controlled (and use less water “than the average home in Las Vegas”). The company is looking to open in other cities, including New York, so with that student-grown tilapia in Hell’s Kitchen, this could be the beginning of a new era of hyperlocal seafood. Sunnyside shrimp, anyone?